OAKLAND -- Three cousins -- two aged 17 and the other 18 -- were arrested for at least two North Oakland street robberies Monday night after police found them by using a tracking application in an iPhone stolen from one victim, investigators said Tuesday.

Police said the older suspect and one of the 17-year-olds admitted their involvement in the robberies, saying they were both fathers and needed money to support their children.

Police said the older suspect, Izell Levias, hatched the plan for the robberies with the other two and picked them up in a Pontiac Bonneville. One of the 17-year-olds brought along a pellet gun, police said. The names of the 17-year-olds were not released because of their ages. All three are from Oakland.

The three first drove to the area of the 4400 block of Webster Street about 7:50 p.m. where the 17-year-olds confronted a 26-year-old woman, pulled her to the ground, pointed the gun at her and took her iPhone, Officer Hector Jimenez said. They fled in the car.

Five minutes later a 26-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint of her iPhone in the 4800 block of Shafter Avenue by the two 17-year-olds, police said.

Police were called and told one of the phones had a tracking application. Using that technology police tracked the phone to the area of 13th Avenue and East 34th Street where the three suspects were arrested. The two phones were found on one of the 17-year-olds and the pellet gun was inside the car, police said.

Advertisement

All three were arrested on suspicion of two counts of armed robbery. Police are reviewing similar cases to see if the three might be responsible.